Surge protectors are a common device in about every household. Small appliances and devices, when exposed to an overvoltage resulting from constant load switching up to a few amps, can be easily protected by a surge protector. However, a direct lightning strike of billion amps is other game. There are surge arrestors also called surge protection device specially manufactured to protect electrical and electronic items from overvoltage caused due to a direct lightning strike. Get more information here: http://www.lightningprotection.com/